During a manufacturing process, a product is typically advanced through a plurality of manufacturing stations of a manufacturing chain. Specifically, the product is transported through each of the manufacturing stations along an article transportation device. At each manufacturing station, a specific one of a plurality of tasks in the manufacturing process is performed. All equipment and other components necessary to perform the assigned task are positioned, and often permanently affixed, at each manufacturing station. As a result, and dependent upon the number of tasks and the complexity of the manufacturing process, a manufacturing chain is typically a large structure that is permanently situated inside a manufacturing facility.
At least partially as a result of its permanency, a manufacturing chain is typically inflexible, such that modifying, removing, or replacing the manufacturing chain may be an expensive and time-consuming process. Therefore, even minor improvements to the manufacturing process, such as, for example, changes to the equipment positioned at one manufacturing station, may be too expensive and time consuming to implement. Further, if the manufacturing process performed by the manufacturing chain becomes unnecessary, it may not be feasible to alter the manufacturing chain to perform a different manufacturing process. Ultimately, the manufacturing chain may only be cost effective in performing the specific manufacturing process for which it was designed. As a result, the significant amount of costs and efforts to design and construct the manufacturing chain may be wasted.
Another drawback with conventional manufacturing chains involves the article transportation system along which the products are transported. Since the products are typically carried along one article transportation device having a single driving source, such as a common monorail conveyor, the entire manufacturing chain must be stopped in order to correct a problem occurring at any point along the manufacturing chain. Power and free conveyors offer one solution by allowing carriers to be routed off of the main line, such as if a defect is identified, but still provide continuous movement of the main line. In either case, stopping the main line can result in significant down time and, therefore, reduced efficiency and, ultimately, throughput of the manufacturing chain. This may further increase process time for manufacturing processes that already require a significant amount of time. For example, it is known that a drying or curing stage of a paint process may require a significant amount of time, thus greatly increasing the minimal process time for the manufacturing process.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,604 teaches a powder coating chain having a plurality of conveyors for transporting parts through a plurality of processing areas. Specifically, each processing area includes a separate motor driven conveyor, sensors for providing information on conditions within the processing area, and a control circuit coupled to both the sensors and an operator interface. A user may manipulate the operator interface to monitor sensed conditions within each processing area. Although the reference suggests an aspect of modularity that may offer certain limited benefits, it does not contemplate improvements to the overall process flow within the manufacturing chain. In fact, the reference does not disclose modifications to the exemplary high-speed blank powder coating process, but rather seeks to quickly identify a source of a mechanical problem associated with the process. As should be appreciated, there is a continuing need for manufacturing chains providing improved quality and efficiency with respect to a manufacturing process. In addition, there is a continuing need for manufacturing chains, or manufacturing stations thereof, that may be more easily modified, removed, or replaced.
The present disclosure is directed to one or more of the problems set forth above.